Toronto overhauled its bottom-six forwards and signed goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky away from the division-rival Florida Panthers. They then added their first-overall pick, Gavin McKenna, at the NHL Draft and acquired defenseman Darren Raddysh in a sign-and-trade. Yet, Auston Matthews is still the key part of the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to insider Elliotte Friedman.

He shared the update on the July 6 episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, discussing how the Maple Leafs' office sees Matthews' role in the coming days.

“I think the whole organization feels this way," said Friedman. "They really believe that Matthews is still the elite of the elite."

The claim clearly shows the Leafs' dependence on Matthews, a former Hart Trophy and Rocket Richard winner who has been the face of the franchise since being drafted as the first overall pick in 2016. 

"They are hoping he shows up healthy and ready to go, and he drives the bus,” Friedman added.

Matthews has dealt with injuries over the last two seasons. In the 2025-2026 season, he missed the remainder of the season because of a grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion in his left leg in March. Back in the 2024-2025 season, he missed 15 games due to an upper-body injury.

So, the front office clearly hopes that he can work around to get healthy. Friedman added that the Leafs have rebuilt the roster just to support him, cause the team still feels like he is an important piece.

The offseason additions were made with that in mind to reduce Matthews' workload in defense.

Matthews' recovery and next contract

He suffered a Grade 3 MCL tear and a quad contusion in a knee-on-knee hit with Anaheim's Radko Gudas in March. He finished with 27 goals and 26 assists in 60 games.

His run was then disrupted by a season-ending surgery, and he took about 12 weeks to recover, putting him on track to be ready ahead of training camp.

There’s another side to the same situation, with Anaheim's Leo Carlsson recently signing a five-year, $90 million contract worth $18 million per season after the Ducks matched an offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers.

This deal reset the contracts of most NHL centers in the market. It passed Kirill Kaprizov's previous record of $17 million and surpassed Matthews' current $13.25 million annual value.

Matthews is signed till the 2027-28 season, and with such a young player like Carlsson, who is earning more than established stars like Matthews, Leon Draisaitl, and Connor McDavid, his next extension with Toronto is expected to be significantly higher than his current deal, as reported by Charlie McAfee of Hockey Patrol.

The front office will have to consider his role carefully as it continues constructing a roster designed to win immediately.

What do you think of Matthews' contribution in the upcoming season? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar